A Pure Soul
by Xaperi
Summary: (on Hiatus and being edited) Sophie O'Connell is the one and only daughter of Rick O'Connell. She hasn't seen him for 3 years, but when he suddenly comes back into her life, things change. Especially because she's a Pure Soul. Now, she has to save her new friends, family and protect the one she loves. Will she save them or be destined to lose those she loves most? [Imhotep/OC]
1. The Past and Present

**Summary: **Sophie O'Connell is the one and only daughter of Rick O'Connell. She hasn't seen him for 3 years, but when he suddenly comes back into her life, things change. Especially because she's a Pure Soul. Now, she has to save her new friends, family and protect the one she loves. Will she save them or be destined to lose those she loves most? [Imhotep/OC]

**Rating: **M

**Warnings: **Eventual Imhotep/OC, violence, killing, mentions of sex, mentions of abuse, abuse (minor), language (no f-bombs)

**A/N: **Hello and welcome to The Pure Soul! I'm Kerryna and I'll be your author for this fanfic. If you do not like it, feel free to simply leave this page. No need to spread hateful comments and what not when you can just click the back button. Now, I am a huge fan of The Mummy, and I was quite upset when Imhotep died. Yes, he was a right bastard, but he did all that he did for Anck-Su-Namun, who in the end, left him when he needed help. That bitch… Anyways, I liked The Mummy a lot, so I decided to write a fanfic for it, and I think the idea I have in my head is quite original indeed. I do hope that you enjoy it though, and if you do, please leave a review. I really appreciate them, as I love to know what readers are thinking.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Mummy. If I did, Imhotep would not have died…

_**KEY**_

**BOLD-Ancient Egyptian**

_**Bold/Italics-Narrator speaking**_

_Italics-Whispers_

Underlined-Arabic

Normal-English

Chapter One: The Past and Present

A beautiful city glows with life and fun. People chat and talk in the center of it as a chariot pulled by Arabian horses barreled down a road. Upon the chariot is Pharaoh Seti himself.

_**Thebes, City of the Living. Crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First.**_

A bald, rather handsome and muscular man stares out into the training grounds as the sun sets. His gaze holds intensity and coldness.

_**Home of Imhotep, Pharaoh**__**'**__**s high priest, keeper of the dead.**_

A gorgeous woman with olive skin sweeps through the foyer door of a temple-like room. Her dress is simply paint on her own skin, expertly drawn.

_**Birthplace of Anck-Su-Namun, Pharaoh**__**'**__**s mistress. No other man was allowed to touch her.**_

She walks elegantly through the ornate statuary, and passes statue-like people. They are Imhotep's priests, and their gaze follows Anck-Su-Namun as she disappears into a room separated by a curtain. The priests walk quickly towards the foyer doors to close them.

_**But for their love, they were willing to risk life itself.**_

On the other side, she embraces Imhotep as they kiss passionately and lustfully. Imhotep hand's roam over her perfectly shaped body and the paint smears slightly.

The bald priests close the doors of the room, but are stopped as the Pharaoh angrily strides in. He looks at the priests in suspicion.

"**What are you doing here?**" He asks in Ancient Egyptian.

The priests cower in fear. The Pharaoh walks angrily to the curtains and throws them open. Anck-Su-Namun stands there alone, and the Pharaoh notes the smeared paint. As this happens, the priests lock and bolt the doors.

"**WHO HAS TOUCHED YOU?!**" He yells as Imhotep suddenly appears behind him and grabs the Pharaoh's own sword. The swords rightful owner spins around to face Imhotep as shock crosses his face.

"**Imhotep?!...My priest.**"

Suddenly, Anck-Su-Namun pulls out a dagger and plunges it through his back. The Pharaoh screams and Imhotep raises the sword. The ugly priests watch the two lovers stab away at the Pharaoh. All of the sudden though, the doors are rammed into from the other side. It is the Medjai.

"**Pharaoh****'****s bodyguards!**" Imhotep says. The priests rush towards the two lovers and away from the doors.

"**You must go. Save yourself!**" Anck-Su-Namun says.

"**No.**" Imhotep states, pain etching into his face.

"**Only you can resurrect me!**"Anck-Su-Namun protested. The doors explode open and men with puzzle-like tattoos covering their bodies storm through. They are armed with sharp weapons and look fierce and authoritative.

"**I won****'****t leave you!**" The priests grab Imhotep and pull him towards the balcony. He tries to break free.

"**Get away from me!**" He continues to struggle while Anck-Su-Namun looks at him with resolve. He is pulled further onto the balcony, and says one last thing to Anck-Su-Namun.

"**You shall live again! I will resurrect you!**" Imhotep is finally dragged behind a curtained area, hidden from the Medjai's view.

Anck-Su-Namun turns to face the Medjai as they reach the room. They see her with a sword in her hand and their Pharaoh dead on the floor. Anck-Su-Namun takes one look and hisses at them.

"**My body is no longer his temple!**"

She plunges the sword into her abdomen causing Imhotep to cringe and look away in silent agony.

_**To resurrect Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep and his priests broke into her crypt and stole her body. They raced deep into the desert, taking Anck-Su-Namun**__**'**__**s corpse to Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, ancient burial site for the sons of pharaohs and resting place for the wealth of Egypt.**_

Imhotep and the priests ride with an air of strength on chariots. They ride into the night and down a fire-lit path to a large and magnificent city.

_**For his love, Imhotep dared the gods**__**'**__** anger by going deep into the city, where he took the black Book of the Dead from its holy resting place.**_

Imhotep lay down Anck-Su-Namun's body onto an altar, and the priests chant in Ancient Egyptian.

_**Anck-Su-Namun**__**'**__**s soul had been sent to the dark underworld, her vital organs removed and placed in five sacred Canopic jars.**_

Imhotep recites from the Book of the Dead and Anck-Su-Namun's soul rises from the deep. It floats by and into her body.

_**Anck-Su-Namun**__**'**__**s soul had come back from the dead, but Pharaoh**__**'**__**s bodyguards had followed Imhotep and stopped him before the ritual could be completed.**_

Anck-Su-Namun's soul howled and flew back down. It disappeared as Imhotep yelled in despair.

_**Imhotep**__**'**__**s priests were condemned to be mummified alive.**_

Shouts and screams were heard coming from the priests as Imhotep await his punishment.

_**As for Imhotep, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient curses. On so horrible it had never before been bestowed.**_

The Medjai held out Imhotep's tongue with a clasp and another brought a sharp knife to it, cutting his tongue off. Imhotep screamed in pain. Soon, he was being wrapped alive, getting ready to be put in a sarcophagus. He struggled as he was put into the coffin of stone when a masked man with a pot walked towards the struggling high priest. He dumped the pot's contents onto the high priest and the contents swarmed over Imhotep's body. They were scarabs, flesh eating bugs that started devouring Imhotep alive. The priest's muffled screams could be heard from all over the large preparation room. The sarcophagus's stone lid is placed and then put into a larger stone box, locked by a key.

_**He was to remained sealed inside his sarcophagus, be undead for all of eternity. The Medjai would never allow him to be released, for he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility.**_

Imhotep was buried at the base of Anubis, and as time passes, the statue erodes.

* * *

It is Hamunaptra, 1923. Men in battle clothing run about the city and ready their guns.

_**For 3,000 years, men and armies fought over this land, never knowing what evil lay beneath it.**_

Men in black clothing ride towards the Hamunaptra, yelling and raising their weapons. Their horses gallop towards a line of men in the tan battle clothing. The horse riders steady their guns, and aim for the line.

The tan clothed men, part of the French Foreign Legion, ready their own guns, and aim.

_**And for 3,000 years, we, the Medjai, the descendants of Pharaoh**__**'**__**s sacred bodyguards, kept watch.**_

The legion leader, who feels that defeat is imminent, runs off on his horse, abandoning the men and goes back to the center of the city.

Two men look at the retreating form, and the scrawny man comments on their coward of a leader.

"You just got promoted." The other man, whose brown hair is slightly wild, looks angry. He yells commands in French to the others.

The horse riders start to gallop forward, letting out war calls.

"Steady!" The new Colonel yells. This man, Richard O'Connell, glances skeptically at the man next to him, Beni Gabor. "You're with me on this one, right?"

"Your strength gives me strength." Beni replied nervously.

"Steady!" O'Connell shouts. Beni gives another glance at him before turning around and running to safer grounds.

"Wait! Wait for me!" He yelled. O'Connell watches him go with a feeling of annoyance and turned back to face the oncoming enemy.

"Steady!" The enemy moves even closer to the line of men and they lick their lips, a nervous gesture towards the advancing men. He steadied his gun once more before setting it on a target.

"FIRE!" O'Connell shouts out, firing at the Tuareg. Many of them fell to the ground which caused the rider's horses behind them to stumble over the bodies. O'Connell's men keep firing, getting quite a lot of men. Though, the Tuareg got a lot of O'Connell's men as well. When the riders got close enough, O'Connell had to retreat back and his men that weren't dead followed.

As he ran, he kept firing his large rifle. He managed to hit more enemies before running out of ammunition. When that happened, he let the rifle fall from his hand as he switched to wielding two handguns. He shot at the Tuareg, but eventually ran after Beni to escape the bullets.

"Run, Beni! Run! Get inside! Get inside!" O'Connell yells to Beni when he sees him. As Beni runs away, he gets closer to a door. When he got there, he turned and strained to push the door closed. O'Connell yelled, his panic rising rapidly.

"Hey! Don't you close that door! Don't you close that door!" O'Connell screamed, but it is too late as he rams into the closed stone door. He is then found by 3 Tuareg and quickly runs away. He jumps over a broken stone pillar, throwing his guns in the process. As he tries to pick them back up, a shot narrowly misses his hand, and O'Connell jumps up. He decides that it'd be best to run.

"Sophie would sure get a kick out of this," O'Connell mumbled, thinking of his young daughter. He continues to run, but is blocked by Tuareg behind and in front of him. He runs to the side and into a dead end, blocked by a statue of Anubis. He stops and waits for the Tuareg to shoot him, knowing he's cornered and escape is impossible.

He closes his eyes, awaiting his death when the Tuaregs' horses are startled and start rearing. Some men fall as the horses trot away from the statue. O'Connell cracks an eye open to see the retreating forms of the Tuareg, confusing him until he heard the whispering.

"_You will die. You will die._" O'Connell stares at the statue and hears howling. He turns around and sees sand shoot up from the ground. He lets out a shout and jumps back. He starts coughing and looks on the ground to see a man's face in the sand. O'Connell, startled and stressed, turns and runs away, out of the city and into the desert.

Above the battlegrounds is a group of Medjai. They watch as O'Connell stumbles away.

"The Creature remains undiscovered." A man with tattoos says in Arabic. The small group watches O'Connell as he walks tiredly in the sand, further and further away from Hamunaptra.

"And what of this one?" Another man asks.

O'Connell pauses as he pants in the heat, hearing the neighing of horses. He turns around and looks at the men atop a cliff. He shakes his head, and continues walking on through the sand.

"Should we kill him?"

"No. The desert will kill him." The apparent leader replied.

* * *

"Sophie Elizabeth O'Connell! Get down here this instant!" A young looking blonde yelled. Her name was Candice 'Candy' marks and she was currently in a foul mood.

She had had enough of this girl. She may be her daughter, but she was also that sonofabitch O'Connell's daughter too. This, in easier terms, meant that her daughter was stubborn and headstrong. Candy was so sick and tired of this girl's headstrong attitude. Candy had a reputation to keep. She was after all, a belly dancer and part time prostitute. She, thank Allah, had not gotten permanent stretch marks, allowing her to continue her work like normal.

Normal, except for the daughter that she kept locked in her room. A month ago, after having Sophie for 6 years, O'Connell dropped her off saying he was going into battle and that he'd pick her up as soon as he could.

That was three years ago. Candy flipped her golden hair in annoyance.

"As soon as he could my ass!" She shouted out in anger and stood up. She knew that Sophie wouldn't come down from her room and Candy couldn't just go up and get Sophie either, for her room was up high, and the only way to get up there would be to climb the ladder, and Allah knew she wouldn't be doing that. It was much too much work for Candy.

"Fine then! Stay up there and rot, you no good brat!" Candy screamed up and left the small house, storming out of the house.

From up in her room, Sophie watched as Candy stalked off and stalked her way towards the casbah she worked at. It was near the center of Cairo and always was a foul place, from what Sophie could remember. Sophie shook her head to clear those haunting memories. She was only 9, but was quite intelligent as well as street smart. She was a respectful person, but only if you earned that respect. Which meant that Candy would never get Sophie's respect or kindness. She also happened to be quite a sharpshooter. As soon as Sophie could hold a gun, her father started to teach her all she needed to know about shooting. She was quite a lot like her father; the headstrong attitude, sometimes quick to anger and humorous all around. The only thing she inherited from her mother was her light golden, silky hair. Of course it wasn't common here in Egypt to have light hair, but her mother's great-grandmother was from another country where it was prominent. Where she got her eyes though, was anyone's guess, as they were a pretty brown with strange gold flecks in them.

Sophie backed away from the window and turned towards her small, homemade bookshelf. She had the keen interest in reading that was also a trait with unknown origins. She liked to read almost anything, which showed in the books she had collected during her time at her mother's. She had books ranging from cute little Egypt tales to books with horrific, historical events to even books on the Ancient Egyptian. Over the 3 long years here, she started to teach herself to read the language as well as read and write in it. She always had that ability to learn things quickly, another trait from her father, though Rick's was mainly on combat and weapons. Her favorite book though, was one that Rick had bought for her after he'd told her she had to stay with a mother that she never met before. Although why she got the book was unpleasant, she'd found that she rather enjoyed its diversity in fairy tales and folklore, as it was from tales all over the world, translated into English quite well.

Sophie frowned slightly, thinking about her father. He had been gone for a very long time. In those three years, she had been yelled at by Candy and some of the men. But, Sophie just picked up a book and read, or even took a blank journal and drew. She had often read about war in the beginning, since Rick had left to fight. She knew that he could be dead, but she didn't think he was. She felt it in her heart that he was alive. She rarely though about it though, since it often brought lingering sadness to Sophie.

After contemplating her father's current whereabouts, she decided that she should go look for him. After all, in the books, it's said that sometimes the soldiers are taken in as prisoners or even arrested for fighting. She stood up taller and smiled genuinely for the first time since her father left. Yes, her father just needed some help.

She grabbed her knapsack and grabbed her light quilt from the bed, folding it and setting it down next to the bag. She then got a brush, canteen and a box of matches that she used for reading by candlelight or the fireplace when it got cold. She stuffed the things in the bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She walked over to the window ledge and descended down the wood and rope ladder. Where Sophie slept and stayed most of the time was not a tower, per se, as it was only 30 feet up, but it had the same fundamental structure as one.

Once down, she grabbed a pocketknife from the kitchen counter, cheese, bread, crackers and some string. She put into her bag and double checked all she had put in it. She took all she would need to go to the library, for it was late and it would take the rest of the day to get halfway there, especially since she had to walk in side alleys to keep from being noticed. Hardly anyone saw her out and about in public, and from what they'd heard from Candy was that she was no good and a whole lot of trouble. It annoyed Sophie to no end, but she couldn't just go and look for him without a clue to where he may be. She secured her bag and a minute later had her walking out of the door and into the alleyway outside of her house.

She would find her dad, perhaps a bit worse for wear, but alive. She had to, for he was her light in the darkness called Candy. It was the only way to freedom.


	2. Siblings of Hope

**Summary: **Sophie O'Connell is the one and only daughter of Rick O'Connell. She hasn't seen him for 3 years, but when he suddenly comes back into her life, things change. Especially because she's a Pure Soul. Now, she has to save her new friends, family and protect the one she loves. Will she save them or be destined to lose those she loves most? [Imhotep/OC]

**Rating: **M

**Warnings: **Eventual Imhotep/OC, violence, killing, mentions of sex, mentions of abuse, abuse (minor), language (no f-bombs)

**A/N: **Thank you for the lovely reviews as well as follows and favorites. I do hope that you enjoy this chapter. Also, for this chapter there are MENTIONS of sex here.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Mummy. If I did though, I'd make sure that Anck-Su-Namun suffered greatly for hurting Imhotep…

_**KEY**_

**BOLD-Ancient Egyptian**

_**Bold/Italics-Narrator speaking**_

_Italics-Whispers_

Underlined-Arabic

Normal-English

Chapter Two: Siblings of Hope

Sophie quickly walked in the shadows that the lowering sun cast. She was almost halfway, making her slow down a bit. She'd been getting around faster than she'd hoped, but it was getting late. Sophie paused in her walking and looked around for a potential sleeping spot in the narrow alley. She grinned when she found a ledge that was just the right size so that she wouldn't fall off in her sleep. Though there was the chance of falling, it wasn't very likely, as Sophie didn't move much in her sleep and if she did move and fall, the ledge was only 9 feet high with baskets to cushion her fall underneath.

She positioned herself towards the wall, right to the side of the ledge and bent her legs. She pushed up and jumped onto the wall, moving her feet quickly to catch the edge of the ledge firmly as she climbed up. As she sat down, she smiled, glad that she had climbed around her tower-like room for fun. It also helped that Sophie was quite agile for a short 9 year old. She then yawned, and after remembering her tiredness, laid down in a small ball and fell asleep.

* * *

Candy woke up the next morning quite early. She stretched and gave out a groan as her body groaned. She turned her head to see a man who was quite ugly snoring loudly. Candy grimaced and sat up carefully, sliding off the bed and walking into the bathroom. As she did, she glanced up at the tower, wondering why Sophie had yet to sneak down for food like she normally did in the tiring hours of early morning. But Candy shrugged, not really caring if the kid starved. She was just a nuisance.

As she entered the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled at the sight. Even though she'd just had a rather _rough_ night, she still looked amazing. She always did, that's why she always made so much money. She, unlike most other women, _enjoyed_ her work, and she would never have any repercussions for it. _Ever_. All because of that deal she made with a man a long time ago. In fact, 10 years ago. As she thought of the deal, she frowned and although the deal gave her something she didn't want, not a hint of regret lived in Candy.

She started cleaning her face off and brushing her hair out, her eyes unfocused while in the depths of a memory. A knock sounded on the door, startling Candy from her thoughts. She blinked rapidly and shook her head.

"Yes?" She asked evenly, looking at the door.

"Wanna have some more fun babe?" A deep voice came from the other side. Candy looked at herself for a moment longer before chuckling.

"Only if you can handle it." She replied, purring as she opened the door. The man grinned predatorily and nodded as he grabbed her hips and dragged her to the bed.

* * *

Sophie stood in front of the library. It was already late morning and she was tired. The sun had risen and was up high in the sky, pouring heat down onto the young girl.

Earlier she'd been startled out of her sleep when an old man yelled at her for taking his area. She had scrambled down, gripping her bag tightly as she ran away from him. She'd run for a while before stopping, causing her to become exhausted, and even before the sun had fully risen.

But that was earlier, and now as she stood in front of the large building, a newfound hope blossomed in her, renewing her energy. She hurried to the door and opened it, walking into a room which appeared empty of any persons.

"Sacred stones, sculptures and aesthetics, Socrates, Seth, volume one, volume two, and volume three. And… T-Tuthmosis? What are you doing here?"

Sophie looked up to see a brown haired woman with glasses atop a tall ladder. She seemed to be organizing the library. Sophie moved to her, but the lady didn't seem to notice her. The lady, named Evelyn Carnahan, continued to look for a book's proper place.

"T. T, t, t…T. I'm going to put you where you belong." Evelyn put the other books she was holding onto a shelf and looked behind her at the T section of books. She grabbed the top bar of the ladder and stretched out her arm that held the book of Tuthmosis. She almost reached it when suddenly the ladder left contact with the bookshelf and stood on its two legs, causing Evelyn to gasp and drop the book. She screamed slightly and Sophie watched in horror as the lady teetered precariously on the ladder. She tried to steady the ladder but it was moving to precariously to be held.

Evelyn exclaimed loudly while gasping and she slowly started turning, causing more screams. She looked around once she steadied herself enough, and finally spotted Sophie.

"Help." She said softly and Sophie turned to go and get help but Evelyn let out a yelp and rammed into a bookshelf. Evelyn slid to the ground and Sophie watched in terrified awe as the bookshelves crashed down just like dominoes. She spun slowly, eyes fixed on the falling books and papers until it came to an end. The lady slowly got up and looked around before looking back at Sophie. She took off her glasses, and mumbled and "oops" before an older man walked in grumbling.

"What…How…Oh, look at this! Sons of the pharaohs! Give me frogs! Flies! Locusts! Anything but you! Compared to you, the other plagues were a joy!" This man appeared to be the museum's curator, Sophie had seen him once or twice before when secretly leaving Candy's home.

"I am so very sorry. It was an accident." The woman told the curator, and Sophie could hear the hint of a plea in her voice for him to believe her.

"My girl, when Rameses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. _You_ are a catastrophe! Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?" The man replied, seemingly frustrated. Evelyn looked back up at him with an awkward smile.

"We-well, you put up with me because I can…I can read and write Ancient Egyptian, and I can-I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic, and, well, I am the only person within 1,000 miles who knows how to properly code and catalog this library, that's why." She ended it off with a great amount of dignity and annoyance.

"I put up with you because your father and mother were our finest patrons. That's why!" The curator corrected as Evelyn looked down. Sophie meanwhile watched the interaction in complete silence. She knew from past experiences that interrupting an argument could be rather unpleasant.

"Allah rest their souls. Now, I don't care how you do it, I don' care how long it takes, straighten up this meshiver!" He yelled at the end. Sophie jumped slightly, thinking she'd been seen, but realized his attention was still on the woman. She looked around at the mess when suddenly a stack of books fell off a desk, emitting a yelp from the girl. The curator and woman finally noticed her as she jumped away from the pile.

"Oh my, are you alright dear?" Evelyn said worried. Sophie nodded.

"I'm fine, but I think this room is another matter." The young girl replied with a gentle smile. Both the curator and Evelyn sighed in relief.

"Evelyn, be more careful next time! This child could have been hurt." The curator said before turning and leaving. Evelyn turned towards the short girl to ask her what her name was, but was stopped by a loud banging noise. She looked up and towards the door. Sophie looked as well and followed Evelyn as she walked towards it.

"Hello?" Evelyn said loudly once she entered the room. Her gaze swept around the room and when she got no answer, she took a torch off of the wall. She walked forward slightly and into the center of the room.

"Abdul? Mohammed? Bob?" Evelyn questioned before hearing a loud thud. She and Sophie's heads snapped towards the sound and they cautiously walked over to a burial-like box. Suddenly, a mummy popped up from the box, startling Evelyn and making Sophie jump slightly. Evelyn gasped loudly and took deep breaths. Laughing could be heard from within the box and soon a man sat upright in it. He smiled widely at the woman's face.

"Have you no respect for the dead?" Evelyn questioned, still calming down.

"Of course I do. But sometimes I'd rather like to join them." He replied, earning a small chuckle from Sophie. He looked down at her and smile. "Why hello there little lady." Sophie smiled brightly at him, glad to have someone who seemed funny around.

"Well, I wish you would do it before you ruin my career the way you've ruined yours. Now, get out." Evelyn continued, chastising the man called Jonathan Carnahan lightly.

"My dear, sweet baby sister. I'll have you know that, at this precise moment, my career is on a high note." Sophie let out a small scoff, not believing that his career was going well, but smiled amusedly at the thought that the two adults in front of her were actually related. He stumbled slightly while getting out of the box, and it seemed to be that he had been drinking a bit.

"High note, ha! Jonathan, please, I'm really not in the mood for you. I've just made a bit of a mess in the library, and the Bembridge scholars have rejected my application form again." Sophie's eyebrows raised in recognition. Those were the people who wrote the book she had, ah, 'borrowed'. Evelyn continued on. "They say I don't have enough experience in the field."

Jonathan looked at her with a slight drunken haze and walked over to Evelyn before kneeling.

"You'll always have me, old mum. Besides, I have just the thing to cheer you up." He said as he got up and started rummaging through the box. Sophie looked around the room and at all the Egyptian artifacts. She had always found Egypt rather curious.

"Oh, no, Jonathan, not another worthless trinket. If I have to take one more piece of junk to the curator to try and…sell for you." She slowed down at the end as Jonathan held out a small box in the palm of his hand. Evelyn grabbed it out of his hands and studied it carefully. "Where did you get this?"

"On a dig down in Thebes. My whole life, I've never found anything, Evy. Please tell me I've found something."

Evelyn, or now Evy as Sophie thought, grasped the box and twisted it slightly, and the top opened up, revealing what seemed to be a piece of paper. Evy gasped and took the worn paper out. Sophie slowly slid near the two siblings and looked at it.

"Jonathan."

"Yes?"

"I think you've found something." She replied smiling. Jonathan grinned and Evy jumped up. She sped off into the library and got her glasses. Jonathan and Sophie followed behind to see what the parchment was. She spread the parchment out and studied it carefully. Sophie stood on her tiptoes to see the full thing and it seemed that the parchment was a map of sorts.

"Oh my…This can't be, can it?" Evy mumbled.

"What can't it be?" Sophie asked, wondering what this map was of.

"It…it looks like this is a map of Hamunaptra." Evy said.

"Hamunaptra?" Sophie gasped. Her heart raced and lifted at the thought that this may lead her to her father.

"Yes. I think we should let the curator check it." Jonathan nodded absentmindedly and Sophie nodded her head vigorously. She wanted to know as much as she could. The three of use walked to the curator's office and Evy gave him the parchment. He looked it over and Evy started talking.

"You see the cartouche there? It's the official royal seal of Seti the First, I'm sure of it." She told him confidently, walking around the desk.

"Perhaps," was the reply.

"Two questions. Who the hell was Seti the First, and was he rich?" Jonathan asked. Sophie rolled his eyes at Jonathan's questions. She knew the answers though, so she spoke up.

"Seti the First was the second pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He is supposedly the wealthiest pharaoh of all." She told him, causing the three adults to look at her. Sophie shrugged her small shoulders and simply said, "I enjoy reading." They looked at her a bit longer before going back to their conversation.

"Yes, exactly as-" Evy stopped and looked at the blonde haired girl.

"Sophie."

"Exactly as Sophie said." She continued.

"Good. I like this fellow. I like him very much." Jonathan continued walking around, no doubt thinking about how much money he'll have. Sophie figured out that Jonathan liked money, and he no doubt enjoyed gambling and bets, but he was not a selfish person really, just a bit greedy. At least, from what Sophie could tell.

"I've already dated the map. It's almost 3,000 years old. And if you look at the hieratic just here, well, it's Hamunaptra."

"Dear God, don't be ridiculous. We're scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra's a myth told by ancient Arab storytellers to amuse Greek and Roman tourists." The curator said, seeming to think Evy an idiot, or at least a bit idiotic.

"I know all the blather about the city being protected by the curse of a mummy nonsense, but my research has led me to believe that the city itself may have actually existed." Evy continued.

"Are we really talking about the Hamunaptra?" Jonathan asks, obviously having not paid attention earlier. Sophie just listened intently. She needed to know about it in order to save her father.

"Yes. The City of the Dead. Where the earliest pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt."

"Yes, yes, in a big, underground treasure chamber." Jonathan said, and the curator let out a small sound of disbelieving. "Oh, come on. Everybody knows the story. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand on Pharaoh's command. A flick of a switch and whole place would disappear beneath the sand dunes, taking the treasure with it." As Jonathan spoke, Sophie noticed that the curator was letting the paper get really close to the flame of a lamp.

"As the Americans would say, it's all fairy tales and hokum. Oh, my goodness! Look at that!" The curator exclaimed, the map having caught fire and fell to the floor. Evy and Jonathan quickly ran too it to put it out, and Sophie narrowed her gold flecked eyes at him. He seemed to feel her gaze and looked up at her. He took in her expression, and narrowed his own eyes. Sophie didn't stop looking at him, for she was suspicious that he purposely set fire to the parchment.

"You've burnt it! You've burned off the part of with the lost city!" Jonathan exclaimed. The curator turned back to look at the two.

"It's for the best I'm sure. Many men have wasted their lives in foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra. No one's ever found it. Most have never returned." He said, and shooed them out of his office. Evy, Jonathan, and Sophie rushed out and Evy guided them to a small room.

"Jonathan, you need to take me to the place where you found this. Just think of the artifacts we could find. We could even find the book of Amun-ra! Oh, then the Bembridge Scholars will just have to accept my application!" Evy told him.

"Wait!" The siblings looked at Sophie. "I want to come with you. I think my father might be somewhere that you got it. He was said to of gone to Hamunaptra, and I want to find him."

Evy and Jonathan looked at the young girl with sad expressions, and they both nodded. Sophie smiled, but it was a bit sad. She did really miss her dad afterall.

**Reviews:**

ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp: I am really glad that you enjoy this story. Thanks :)

XxBookXxWormXx: I'm happy that you think so :)

Death of a Dark Angel: Thank you! I will try my best :)

Grapejuice101: Thank you, and as for updates, it will be once every week unless I say otherwise.

ZabuzasGirl: I will be updating once a week unless I say otherwise, so you'll have to wait :)

Decepticon-silverstreak: I'm happy that you like it! I'm also glad that you can see the difference.

ValueMyHeart: Thank you! I'm glad you think so, as I figured it would be better suited. I don't know what I was thinking, making her so young in the first place.

Mercede216: Thank you!

Brunette: 1) I do this to set the mood as well as for those who haven't seen the movie(s). Also, I'm simply following the movie, just adding my own twists and whatnot.

2) Although Sophie is 9 now, this story is going the second movie, making her 19ish as well as possibly including the third movie. In this story, there will be mentions of sex (which was included in this chapter), possibly puberty, violence (killing, gruesomeness, possible torture), mentions of abuse as well as minor abuse and some language (and it may be sometimes excessive). Much of it would be in a warning at the beginning of a chapter.

3) Sophie was taught at a young age to shoot a gun as well as throw weapons, her teacher being her father. Also, with the personal twist, she has certain 'attributes' that help enhance her ability to shoot and aim. Again for the age, this will be a rather long story.

Shewolf-skittles-twist14: Thank you and I'm glad you enjoy it so far.

PadawanCassy: Thank you :)


	3. A Noose of Trouble

**Summary: **Sophie O'Connell is the one and only daughter of Rick O'Connell. She hasn't seen him for 3 years, but when he suddenly comes back into her life, things change. Especially because she's a Pure Soul. Now, she has to save her new friends, family and protect the one she loves. Will she save them or be destined to lose those she loves most? [Imhotep/OC]

**Rating: **M

**Warnings: **Eventual Imhotep/OC, violence, killing, mentions of sex, mentions of abuse, abuse (minor), language (no f-bombs)

**A/N: **I am so terribly sorry for not updating! It has been so hectic at home and I got a new computer, and it didn't have word so I had to find a different way to write this as well as other personal reasons. But, here it is now, so I hope to continue to update weekly and what not. I do apologize once again.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Mummy. I wish I did though…then Imhotep would have lived…

_**KEY**_

**BOLD-Ancient Egyptian**

_**Bold/Italics-Narrator speaking**_

_Italics-Whispers_

Underlined-Arabic

Normal-English

Chapter Three: A Noose of Trouble

"Come, come! Step over the threshold. Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home." A thick man said with an accent. He had a slight unibrow and seemed rather filthy. Sophie scrunched up her small nose as she, Evy, and Jonathan walked into the prison. Many prisoners and slaves worked to clean clothes. A few of them, Sophie noted, were in giant wheels, but she could not tell what they were for.

"You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes." Evy said accusingly to her brother as she glanced about the prison.

"Yeah, well, I was mistaken." Jonathan replied. Sophie rolled her eyes at his lie, seeing Evy getting angry.

"You lied to me."Sheargued.

"I lie to everybody. What makes you so special?"

"She's your sister. That's what makes her special."Sophie retorted. Jonathan grinned uneasily.

"Exactly as Sophie said. I _am _your sister."

"That just makes you more gullible." Jonathan retaliated. Evy sighed in annoyance.

"You stole it from a drunk at the local casbah." She ground out. Jonathan let out a small, strained chuckle.

"Picked his pocket, actually, so I don't think it's a very good idea." He said.

"Stop being so ridiculous." Evy told him, being optimistic about their current situation.

"If you're worrying about seeing this man again, then you shouldn't have really stolen the box in the first place." Sophie told Jonathan, though she was secretly glad as it gave her a chance to possibly find her daddy. Jonathan grimaced slightly.

"What exactly is this man in prison for?" Evy asked the warden, Gad Hassan.

"This I do not know." He answered, giving a confused look. "But when I heard that you were coming, I asked him that myself…" He gave a small shout after that to a group of misbehaving prisoners.

"And what did he say?" Evy continued.

"He said he was just looking for a good time." He ended. Sophie rolled her eyes when a blurred figure caught her attention. It looked like a small dog. It walked away and disappeared into a doorway.

The dog seemed to draw Sophie in as she started to follow where it disappeared to. Neither Jonathan, Evy, nor the warden saw her leave.

Two prison workers held a man with long, wavy hair bustled through the door the group had been waiting at. The man struggled against the restraints as he was pushed into the front area of the small prison cell, causing him to be struck down onto his knees. The warden backed up.

"This is the man you stole it from?" Evy quipped.

"Yes, exactly." Jonathan said as if proving a point that they shouldn't be here. "So why don't we just go sniff out a spot of tiffin." He chuckled slightly.

"Who are you?" The man spoke, giving a small smile. "And who's the broad?"

"Broad?" Evy asked disdainfully as a look of disgust took her face.

"Well, I'm-I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word, but this is my sister, Evy." Jonathan quickly changed the man's attention towards his sister.

"How do you do?" Evy said as politely as she could from that 'broad' comment.

"Oh, well. Guess she's not a total loss." He replied.

"I beg your pardon." Evy said annoyed. Just then the Warden saw a group of misbehaving prisoners and started to shout at them.

"I'll be back in a moment." The warden mumbled before leaving. Jonathan took this opportunity to remind Evy about the box.

"Um, we have, a, found a…Hello. Excuse me."The man in the cell had been looking to the right, watching a young girl escape into a doorway when the Evy spoke again. He thought it odd to see a girl running about a prison, but shook it off. He'd seen stranger. He turned his attention back to the woman when she talked again.

"We both found your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it." Evy said, smiling brightly. The man gave them a 'are you kidding me' face, and answered their unasked question.

"No."

"No." Evy restated questioningly, smile dropping. The man slid his hands down the rails and shook his head.

"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." He replied, ignoring Jonathan's shh's.

"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" Evy asked cautiously and curiously.

"Because that's where I was when I found it. I was there."

"But how do we know that's not a load of pig's wallow?" Jonathan questioned coming closer to the bars. The man seemed to get a better look at Jonathan's face when he mentioned it to them.

"Do I know you?" The man said, pointing a finger at Jonathan. Jonathan shook his head roughly.

"No, no. I've just got one of those faces." He said before he was punched in his cheek, falling to the ground. The man was hit in the back with the baton in retaliation.

"You were actually at Hamunaptra?" Evy asked, stepping over her brother's limp form. The man smiled charmingly at her.

"Yeah, I was there."

"You swear?"

"Every damn day." He replied wittingly.

"I didn't mean that…"

"I know. I was there. Seti's place. City of the Dead." He shook his hands about at the end.

"Could you tell me how to get there?" Evy said, getting excited. She looked back at the warden who was still yelling at some people. Evy turned back to the man, and took off her hat.

"I mean, the exact location."

"You want to know?"

"Well, yes." She leaned in closer.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." She leaned in closer and the man gestured for her to come even closer. He grabbed her chin and kissed her forcefully. He stopped the kiss as he spoke again.

"Then get me the hell out of here!" He let go of her as he was hit in the back again, and the warden quickly walked up to them. Evy quickly backed away as Rick started to fight the prison soldiers. She stared with wide eyes at him.

"Do it, lady!" He struggled more, but was soon taken back into the prison's closed walls.

"Where are they taking him?" Evy asked frantically.

"To be hanged." The warden gave. "Apparently, he had a very good time."

As all of this went on, Sophie chased after the compelling little dog. After a few minutes of chasing, Sophie turned a corner. She stopped short when the dog was nowhere in sight and the hall had many corridors.

"Shoot..." Sophie mumbled softly. She walked slowly forward, viciously aware that she was now lost in the middle of a prison. She looked down each hallway as she passed them, hoping for any sort of sign as to where the dog was.

As she turned to look in another hall, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned slowly to see someone, causing her to jump up.

"What are you doing here, girl?" The person asked. It was a man, tall with short hair. He had tattoos on his face and he looked all over menacing.

"Uh, I was following a little dog, and it disappeared." She said, but realized it sounded unrealistic.

"Oh, a dog? There are no dogs here, girl." He continued. He stared into the girl's eyes and saw a hint of fear in them. He then noticed gold flecks in them and breathe in sharply, startling the girl.

"What is your name?" He asked as he took a step closer, but Sophie took a step back.

"Sophie."

"Sophie, I need you to come with me."

Sophie shook her head and turned to run. The man called after her, butshe ran until she bumped into someone. That someone was the man that Evy and Jonathan had talked to.

Sophie looked up to apologize, but stopped and stared at this man's face. The man's eyes widened largely in recognition.

"Sophie?!" He whispered in shock.

"Daddy!" Sophie exclaimed hugging him. The two guards seemingly had hearts and gave the two a minute.

"Sophie, sweetie. Oh, I missed you so much." Rick said as he held onto her the best he could while in chains.

"Daddy, what happened? You said you'd be back, but you've been gone for 3 years!" Sophie cried. Rick sighed and pulled away a bit.

"I'm sorry, Soph, I wish I could have been there to take care of you. I didn't think I'd be gone for so long. But, whatever happens, be strong okay?" Rick didn't have the heart to tell his little girl that today would most certainly be his last day.

"Why? What's happening?" Sophie pressed, noticing the pained look on his face.

"Just be strong. I love you, Soph." He said, and the soldiers grabbed his arms, dragging him towards the hanging area.

"Daddy! No! Let him go!" Sophie yelled but was stopped by another soldier. She glared fiercely at him and sped away. She maneuvered her way through the prison and finally found Evy. She was sitting next to the warden. A crowd had developed, and Sophie looked out to see why.

"No." Sophie breathed out. "Daddy!" The warden and Evy turned to her. Sophie looked at the warden, starting to cry.

"Let him go! Please!" She begged. The warden pushed her away and gave her a disdainful look.

"Get away, brat." He hissed as he turned back to the hanging. Evy looked at Sophie with a pained and shocked look. Evy turned to the warden, determined to save this man's life, for his daughter as well as her curiousity.

"I will give you £100 to save this man's life." Evy announced.

"Madame, I would pay £100 just to see him hang." The warden countered.

"£200."

"Proceed!"

"£300."

The man that tightened the noose asked Rick one question.

"Any last requests, pig?"

"Yeah. Loosen the knot and let me go." He replied smartly.

"He wants to loosen the know and let him go. Should I?" The man asked the warden in Arabic. The warden sputtered at the man.

"Of course we don't let him go! You imbecile!" The warden yelled. The man looked embarrassed and to his frustration out on Rick by hitting his head.

"£500!" Evy exclaimed. Sophie watched silently, crying and hoping that her daddy would be okay.

"Hold on! And what else? I'm a very lonely man." He asked, grabbing Evy's leg roughly. Evy looked alarmed and disgusted and slapped the warden's hand. The crowd laughed at the interaction. The prisoners shook their shackles and cheered. The warden yelled to continue as Evy shot up.

"No!"

The man pulled the lever and Rick fell down, but his neck did not break. Rick choked and struggled to get loose and the warden laughed at the scene.

"His neck did not break!" The crowd tried to push through to get to Rick, and Sophie the tried to beg the warden to let him down now.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Now, we must watch him strangle to death." He sneered, and the crowds chanted 'Let him go'. Sophie was outright sobbing now. Rick grunted and continued to try to get out with his face turning red.

"He knows the location to Hamunaptra." Evy proclaimed. The warden turned to her, surprised.

"You lie."

"I would never!" Evy exclaimed.

"Are you telling me this filthy, godless son of a-" He stopped, looking at Sophie. "-pig knows where to find the City of the Dead?"

"Yes!" Evy yelled.

"Truly?"

"Yes! And if you cut him down, we will give you…" She glanced at Rick. "10%" Sophie watched the interaction impatiently, hoping they would hurry up. Her daddy was choking to death for crying out loud!

"50%"

"20"

"40"

"30!"

"25"

"Ah! Deal." The warden processed what had happened and groaned.

"Cut him down!" The crowd cheered louder than all the times before and Sophie yelled with glee.

"DADDY!" Sophie yelled, rushing down to go hug him.

Evy watched as Sophie ran down, and smiled at Rick, who lay on the ground. Sophie had made it down to the clearing already, and ducked past the guards. She made it to her daddy and helped him up. Sophie helped get him out of the chains and shackles, hugging him afterwards.

"Soph, oh Soph. I missed you so much. Look at how tall you've grown." Rick said.

"I missed you too daddy. And I'm glad to have you back. But, can I go with you to Hamunaptra? Please?" Sophie begged. She really didn't want to be separated from her dad anymore, and she didn't like staying with Candy.

"Oh, I don't know. What I saw was pretty – oh alright. I suppose you can go. Does Candy know you're here?" Rick questioned. Sophie paused and looked down to stare at her feet. Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then cringed at the feeling of the long, dirty hair. "Well, I should of known. Now, you need to go get some clothes for the trip. Something cool for the day, but something warmer for the night. Let's go." Sophie nodded and led him out of the prison and to Candy's home.

Evy watched the two and then left herself, helping her brother come to his senses. Jonathan was still a bit dizzy from the punch. Evy rolled her eyes at the sight of Jonathan. His cheek was bruising slightly, but it was normal to see that every so often with Jonathan. He did after all gamble quite a bit.

* * *

It took the two of them, daughter and father, five minutes to get to the building. Sophie led him inside and stopped him, guiding him towards a dark part of the room.

"Wait here in case Candy comes back." Sophie said simply, and started climbing her way up to her old room. She grabbed some clothes and looked out the window. She saw Candy and panicked. She needed to hurry and get out of there. She stuffed the clothes in her bag and climbed down, but she wasn't fast enough.

"SOPHIE! Where have you been?!" Candy screamed at her daughter. Sophie flinched at the shrill tone and shrugged, glancing at Rick, telling him to stay there. "ANSWER ME, BRAT!" Candy yelled.

"I was at Cairo Prison." Sophie answered, grinding her teeth silently.

"Oh, no doubt because you're a thief! I know that you stole food and a pocketknife from me, you little bitch!" Candy shrieked at Sophie. Sophie looked down and backed up as she saw Candy raise her hand. Rick saw as well, and stepped forward. But it was too late.

Candy swung as hard as she could and hit Sophie.


	4. New Friends

**Summary: **Sophie O'Connell is the one and only daughter of Rick O'Connell. She hasn't seen him for 3 years, but when he suddenly comes back into her life, things change. Especially because she's a Pure Soul. Now, she has to save her new friends, family and protect the one she loves. Will she save them or be destined to lose those she loves most? [Imhotep/OC]

**Rating: **M

**Warnings: **Eventual Imhotep/OC, violence, killing, mentions of sex, mentions of abuse, abuse (minor), language (no f-bombs)

**A/N: **Welcome back to A Pure Soul! It's good to be back to normal.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Mummy. Meow…

_**KEY**_

**BOLD-Ancient Egyptian**

_**Bold/Italics-Narrator speaking**_

_Italics-Whispers_

Underlined-Arabic

Normal-English

Chapter Four: New Friends

The loud smack seemed to resonate through the little house. Time seemed to slow down as Candy's hand fell to her side, her eyes were wide, but not because of what she'd done to Sophie.

No, because Candy had never cared about Sophie. Candy stared at the man that appeared from the shadows. The man she'd met years ago, the man she'd had a child with; Rick O'Connell. Her mouth hung open in astonishment, as she thought he'd been dead.

For Sophie, she could feel the hit before it struck. She had frozen up, scared, her small brown eyes shut tightly. When the dainty, thin hand had hit Sophie, she could feel the stinging of it. But, she could also feel a deep burning, a burning that felt hot and painful. When the hand had fallen, a bright hand print showed what had happened, but in the center of the handprint was a shallow, but long gash.

One of Candy's rings had sharply cut Sophie's light, smooth skin. The blood trickled from the cut and the red liquid flowed slowly but steadily down her cheek.

Rick saw his daughter's cheek, and the pained expression she wore. All he saw was red then. He punched Candy, causing the young woman to fall to the floor, Rick's fist having broken her nose. But, he didn't care that she got hurt. He just wanted this heartless woman to feel the pain that Sophie obviously felt. Rick didn't take a second glance at the woman on the floor, blood gushing from her nose, and he turned to Sophie.

Tears poured down her face and into the cut, making it sting at the saltiness. The tears and blood mixed, making dark, evil looking trails on her cheek, down her jaw and slowly traveling down her short neck. Some of Sophie's hair was matted in the front, the blood and tears tangling the normally smooth and straight hair. Rick picked her up, holding her protectively. He grabbed his daughter's bag, slinging it over his shoulder and left.

Candy lay on the floor, looking pathetic and vulnerable. Her nose was destroyed and blood pooled around her head and on her face and neck. She cried and whimpered in pain, but with no regret for hitting Sophie. Unbeknownst to her, a figure seemed to materialize, dark sand swirling around slightly. A tall creature with tan, fur-like skin stood, wearing simple Ancient Egyptian wraps gazed upon the woman. His eyes were golden, and he had no normal face. His mouth and nose were that of a dog, thin, but strong.

He stared in disgust at the crying heap on the floor. He growled lowly, for he regretted ever making that idiotic deal with this woman, though he did not regret what came of that deal. The little one was precious and quite beautiful. But what this one went through, that is what this man, or rather beast, regretted. He growled louder this time and glared at the woman as her whimpers became louder and he decided to show this woman what real pain was. After all, she wouldn't get away with hurting what was his that easily.

* * *

Rick carried Sophie around the town, and towards an expensive looking house. It was quite large, and it had a beautiful garden, lush, but not unnaturally so. This lot was owned by a young couple, Clara and Ivon Milenko, along with their two sons. They were old friends of Rick, and he was thankful to know them. Although Ivon wasn't much of a fighter, he had saved Rick a few times back when they were just barely adults.

He knocked on the door and was greeted by Ivon himself.

"O'Connell! I haven't seen you 'round here in a while." Ivon said, smiling, but that smile disappeared once he saw the girl's face. "Oh, come in. Rick, what on Earth have you been doing? Who is this?"

Rick walked into the house and held Sophie. She looked around her and at her surroundings as her tears started to lessen.

"This is my daughter, Sophie. You know Candy, right? Well she hit her." Rick ground out, still furious at Candy. Ivon nodded, promising to get more information later. He led Rick to a room near the kitchen and main rooms. He opened the door, letting him pass through before turning back out. Ivon grabbed a first aid kit from the kitchen and brought it back to Rick. He left, allowing the father to take care of his daughter.

Rick had set Sophie down onto the bed, the blood and tears having dried. Sophie watched as her daddy got out the items needed to clean the cut. He wet a towel and gently washed off the dried blood, careful not to tear the scab.

Once Rick was able to see the wound fully, he sighed in relief. It wasn't deep. He got out a cotton swab, dipping it in disinfectant as he carefully cleaned the cut.

Sophie flinched once at the slight sting it caused, but otherwise stayed still. A few minutes later, the wound was covered with some gauze and medical tape.

Rick looked down at his now sleeping daughter. She looked peaceful enough, but Rick doubted that's what she really felt like. He left her laying on the bed as he went to find the rest of Ivon's family. He could hear talking as he searched and knocked on a door.

"Come in." Ivon said. Rick walked in, seeing a dark haired, fair skinned woman, a boy with the same color hair as the woman, and another, younger boy, with curly hair like Ivon's.

"Rick. Meet my family. This is my beautiful wife, Clara." Ivon said, grabbing Clara's waist and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Then, this is Ian and Mikael." He finished, pointing towards the black haired boy, then the curly, brown haired boy. Rick nodded.

"Well, I'm Rick O'Connell. It is nice to meet your family, Ivon." Ivon nodded. "The little girl I was carrying in was my daughter, Sophie. A few years ago, my garrison went to battle, and I had to leave Sophie with her mother, Candy. But, before I could get back to her, I was arrested for, well…" Rick trailed off.

"Flirting with a woman you shouldn't have?" Ivon supplied. Rick nodded, smirking slightly.

"So, it was a serious offense and I got locked away. Then a woman and her brother happened along, and they bought me out. Somehow though, Sophie found them and she tagged along. We had a family moment, and we went back to Candy's home, but Candy showed up, said some harsh things to Sophie, and then in the end, slapped her." Rick finished, feeling anger boil in him again.

Clara gasped and grabbed Ivon's hand, squeezing it lightly. "That's terrible! How could a woman hit a child, let alone her daughter?" Clara asked, horrified. Rick shook his head. He knew that Candy hadn't wanted someone like Sophie, but that was no reason to be mean to the child.

"Well, you can stay here as long as you need." Ivon supplied. Rick shook his head.

"I'd love to, but I can't. I promised the lady and man that I'd take them as they're 'tour guide'. By the way, do you have any clothes I could use? And something to cut my hair with?" Rick asked. Ivon smiled, nodding. He told Rick to go back to the room he had gotten. A minute later, Clara appeared at the door, scissors and razor in hand.

"Go and stand over the trash basket and let me cut this mangle of hair."

* * *

Sophie awoke to the soft rays of a new day. She blinked owlishly and looked around. She saw her daddy next to her on the bed, and noticed his hair was cut.

Then Sophie gasped as she remembered what had happened yesterday. Her hand flew to her cheek as she ran it up the sensitive, gauze covered cheek. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Candy didn't deserve her tears.

Sophie sat up, and stepped onto the cool floor. She walked over to a door, and opened it. She was glad to find that it was a bathroom. She used the toilet, and washed her hands, thankful that the sink wasn't too high up. Sophie then stared at her cheek. She could see blood bleeding through and she slowly peeled off the gauze. She knew that it'd have to be changed, lest it get infected.

Sophie saw crusty, dried blood and wet the hand towel. She scrubbed it off lightly, and she gaped at her cheek. There was no wound anymore, just a small, reddish-pink line. Sophie touched the line, finding it was sore, but not actually painful. Sophie suddenly felt scared, she knew this isn't natural. Something like that should've taken weeks to heal, not one night. She quickly recovered the 'wound' and went back into the room. Sophie saw Rick still sleeping, so she went to explore more around this house.

Sophie walked along the hallways and found the kitchen. She looked into the doorway and saw a pretty lady making what smelled like pancakes and eggs. A man sat reading a paper at the table. Sophie's stomach growled, and the lady turned around.

"Oh! Hello dear. Come and sit down. You must be hungry. I'm Clara Milenko, dear. This is my husband, Ivon." The lady said with a nice smile. Sophie grinned.

"Thank you, Mrs. Milenko. I am quite hungry." Sophie said.

"No, please call me Clara." Sophie nodded and smiled brightly.

"Are making pancakes and eggs, mom?" A voice said loudly. Sophie turned and saw two boys, while young, were older than her. One had black hair and it looked smooth. The other had curly, deep brown hair.

"Good morning too you too, Ian." Clara said. "Come on, sit down and wait until the food is finished. Oh, and this is Sophie. Sophie, Ian and Mikael." Clara continued, going back to cooking.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Sophie said politely. Ian nodded and sat down, shoving past Sophie as he did so. Mikael however seemed more polite.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you as well. How was your night?" Mikael asked nicely. Sophie smiled brightly.

"It was good." She answered. Mikael grinned, happy to meet someone who wasn't as abrupt and rude as his older brother.

"Good morning, sons." Ivon said. "Mikael, your birthday is coming up soon." Mikael smiled widely, excited about being a year older.

"Is it? How old will you be?" Sophie asked curiously. Mikael blushed at this girl's kindness and her true interest.

"I'll be 10, finally."

"Oh, double digits!" Sophie exclaimed, causing the five to laugh. Clara popped down the cooked food and everyone dug in as Rick stumbled through the kitchen.

"Good morning, Soph." He mumbled, grabbing a cup of coffee out of Clara's hand. He sat down, grabbing some food, and the group ate and chatted through the morning.

About 4 hours later, Sophie had taken a shower and put on a light khaki pants and shirt. She put on boots that would keep the sand out without getting too hot. She put her hair up in a braided bun, having learned from watching Candy get ready. She walked into the front hallway, waiting for her daddy to get the bags.

"Sophie?" Sophie turned to look at Mikael. "I just wanted to apologize before you left."

"Apologize for what?" Sophie asked, confused.

"For my brother's behavior. He should've been kinder to you. He may be two years older than me, but he is not much wiser than a 6 year old."

"Well thank you, Mikael." Sohpie said

"You're welcome." Mikael said. "How old are you anyways?"

"I'm 9." Sophie said.

"Really? You just seem so much more mature than a 9 year old. Not that it's a bad thing of course!" Mikael said quickly. Sophie gave a giggle and smiled.

Rick entered the hallway and told Sophie they had to leave now. Sophie nodded, and faced Mikael once more. "It was very nice to meet you and your family. I hope to see you again sometime. Thank you."

Sophie gave Mikael a hug and left, following after her father, leaving a blushing Mikael waving from the doorway.


End file.
